Chapter 322

Chapter 322

Originally, in any era and any place, people who carry on history live with the phrase “kids these days” directed at future generations.

Kids these days have no manners. Kids these days lack fundamentals. Kids these days have no patience. In any place in the world, in any era, such words show no signs of dying down. If you look up records from just a few hundred years ago, don’t ancient texts often appear with things like “kids these days don’t train diligently in martial arts”?

When generations change, the values they prioritize change, and when the values they prioritize change, their thoughts inevitably become separated from each other. The antagonism between the old generation and the new generation starts from there. And.

“W-want to have a bout?”

“Yes!”

From that perspective, Hwangryongjangju was currently receiving a tremendous shock from the new generation’s radical way of thinking.

And for good reason, because the tiny girl who followed her disciple was telling her to have a bout.

“No, where did you learn such… Huh.”

Where did she learn such impudence?

Hwangryongjangju, who realized her own words sounded quite old-fashioned as she was about to say that, frowned and shook her head. However, Seohwa’s words continued regardless.

“In the end, you’re saying you can’t let her handle the Heavenly Silkworm Thread because her skills are insufficient. Because it’s obvious she’ll ruin the material. Isn’t that right?”

“You understood well.”

“Then, she should prove her skill. It’s a simple story, isn’t it?”

“…Prove her skill?”

“Yes.”

“By beating me?”

“Since Jangju-nim also said it’s hard to handle Heavenly Silkworm Thread, naturally she’d need to beat Jangju-nim to be able to handle it, wouldn’t she?”

“My goodness.”

Hwangryongjangju let out a hollow laugh at Seohwa’s bold words and shook her head. And the words that followed.

“I don’t know about martial artists, but an artisan’s skill isn’t something that can improve dramatically overnight.”

“Martial artists are the same.”

“…Is that so? Well, I suppose skills can’t increase dramatically overnight in any field. In any case, then you also know that, don’t you?”

Gayeom’s talent. Of course, she could acknowledge it. In the first place, the reason Hwangryongjangju cherished Gayeom was because her talent in handling fabric itself was outstanding.

She spared no effort in teaching her techniques, thinking that someday she would surpass her. Even when Gayeom announced her intention to become independent, the fact that she extracted several secrets passed down only in Hwangryongjang and taught them to Gayeom was also a manifestation of such awareness. Like the psychology of giving one more spoonful of rice to a child who eats well.

However,

“Time is an honest thing.”

Gayeom has only held the loom for a mere dozen years or so.

But Hwangryongjangju has lived holding the loom for over half a century. Even if one tries to fill the gap of time with talent, Hwangryongjangju herself is someone who, when it comes to talent, can be counted on one hand even if you searched the entire world.

“Three years ago, the difference was stark. No matter how much great enlightenment you gained over three years, you can’t overtake me. Time is that honest.”

The world is unfair, but that doesn’t mean it’s unreasonable.

You might be able to catch up to a mediocre person’s ten years with a genius’s one year, but it’s difficult to catch up to a mediocre person’s thirty years, fifty years with a genius’s three years, five years. If one steadily devotes themselves for that length of time, even a mediocre person will eventually find their own way.

“Do you have confidence you can win?”

“…”

“Beyond this is not the realm of a technician but an ‘artisan.’ Can you breathe your soul into the fabric you make?”

A mere dozen years or so.

It’s long if you consider it long, but it’s far too short a period to reach the realm of an artisan recognized by everyone after digging into one field.

“Can you do it?”

Is that possible for you?

At the figure of Hwangryongjangju asking like that, Gayeom bit her lip and clenched her fist tightly. And the answer that followed.

“I don’t have confidence I can beat the time master has accumulated.”

“…”

She knows what kind of monster Hwangryongjangju is. If you were to line up the three greatest masters of fabric-making in the entire world from the top, Hwangryongjangju is a person who would definitely be included.

Being the one who makes the Emperor’s dragon robe is that kind of thing. Only those who can claim to be the best can embroider a dragon on clothes. Saying you can beat such a person would be nothing more than arrogance.

However.

“But I can surpass you for a moment. I intend to show you that.”

“So?”

“Let’s compete.”

“…”

“Are you perhaps scared? Afraid you’ll lose to a disciple who hasn’t even learned for twenty years?”

“Hehe.”

At Gayeom’s gaze looking at her with transparent eyes, Hwangryongjangju let out a hollow laugh while stroking her beard. And along with veins bulging sharply, Hwangryongjangju’s expression twisted.

“I’ve been listening and listening, but I can’t let this pass. These damn brats…!”

“…”

“Fine. Go ahead and try showing off your tricks. I’ll completely smash you so you can’t even mention the Heavenly Silkworm Thread…!”

Watching Hwangryongjangju raging furiously, Seohwa met eyes with Gayeom and let out a chuckle. The situation was going according to plan.

‘Win and receive the Heavenly Silkworm Thread.’

It’s a task Baek Riyun entrusted believing in her. If she doesn’t accomplish it, how could she face him?

‘Win.’

‘I know.’

Receiving Seohwa’s gaze, Gayeom clenched her fist tightly.

[Artifact Specialization is being applied.]

[Concentration temporarily increases dramatically.]

Everything was going according to plan.

***

Meanwhile, while an unintended rebellion from below was occurring at Hwangryongjang.

The atmosphere of the Number One Under Heaven Martial Competition was flowing in a strange direction.

“Victory!”

Literally in a direction that was bizarrely conscious of me.

“…Hm.”

I pressed between my brows while watching Geomgwi, one of the Ten Heavens, who glared at me after defeating his opponent before descending. The sight of him being more wary of me, the opponent after next, even though he knew his next opponent was none other than the Sado Alliance Leader.

“I don’t know what they’re trying to do.”

“Doesn’t it mean the momentum Munju-nim has shown is extraordinary?”

“It would be extraordinary. Since it’s that Heavenly Demon’s martial arts.”

Nakcheon is strong. Strong enough to defeat any Transcender.

Without martial arts, killing and slaughtering yokai with a human body, and eventually even transforming into a yokai—that’s Nakcheon. He originally had overwhelming talent, and in addition to that talent, he gained a yokai body, and even refined and polished himself through training for thousands of years.

Currently, among humans, there is no one who can face Nakcheon one-on-one and win. If you think about how Nakcheon alone tied up three of Heukya’s tails when even Ilryun or Taeak couldn’t handle two, the answer becomes clear.

Heavenly Demon Divine Art is Nakcheon’s technique woven into martial arts. It couldn’t be ordinary martial arts. However.

“That’s when Nakcheon uses it directly. When I use it, it doesn’t produce that much power right away.”

“Isn’t the technique the same?”

“It’s different. I’m still in the process of making it compatible.”

Although I have a yokai body now, I can’t live with a yokai body forever. If humans can become yokai, can’t yokai also become human?

If a human becoming a yokai is elevating one’s existence, then a yokai becoming human could be expressed as declining.

To be able to use it by matching form and style when I return to being human by lowering my status like that, I’m currently in the middle of modifying the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Since I’m still tearing it apart and rebuilding it, it’s natural that I can’t follow the power of the original.

“In any case, won’t it end around the eight strongest? If Heukmyeonsalma and the Sado Alliance Leader fight, the Sado Alliance Leader will probably win, and since he’ll know the circumstances appropriately, won’t he go easy?”

“Well.”

They’re such an unpredictable race that I can’t even give an answer about how it will turn out.

“We will begin the fourteenth match! Martial competitors, come up to the martial stage!”

“It’s my turn.”

“Munju-nim! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s almost calmed down.”

I patted Seowoo’s hair as she made worried sounds, and then a familiar gaze looking at me from beyond the martial stage.

“Uicheon.”

“Myeolakdaeju.”

Even though he’s hidden by a bamboo hat, it’s as if he’s looking through the bamboo hat at my eyes.

I grinned at the sight of my senior emanating an even more menacing aura than in the past and gripped my sword. Then, Myeolakdaeju twitched his eyebrows while looking at me.

“You’re drawing a sword this time. Uicheon.”

“Because it’s difficult without drawing a sword.”

“You rate me above the Sword King. I feel good.”

“…It’s not particularly like that though.”

It’s just that the Heavenly Demon Divine Art using a sword as a medium seemed like it would put less burden on me than the Heavenly Demon Divine Art unfolding with bare fists.

“Both sides, ready stance!”

“That’s fine.”

As if he had no intention of listening to my story, Myeolakdaeju raised his sword finger seal and took a ready stance. As I took a ready stance facing him, Myeolakdaeju’s lips curved up thickly.

“If I beat you, next is the Sado Alliance Leader.”

“Do you have some bitter resentment toward the Sado Alliance Leader?”

“Would I not?”

“Damn sure you would.”

It would be strange if the Murim Alliance’s Martial Force Corps Commander didn’t have bitter resentment toward the Sado Alliance’s leader. Right away, how many comrades have I lost to the Sado Alliance as well?

“I need to stick a blade in that bastard’s belly hide at least once. Though I have no grudge against you.”

Begin!

“You fall here.”

The moment the signal dropped, Myeolakdaeju’s sword blazed with a dark reddish, murky light. At the same time, Myeolakdaeju’s signature technique covered me head-on.

Destroy Evil Radiant Sword

The Murim Alliance’s martial art shared by all members of the Destroy Evil Corps, about suppressing evil with evil.

The martial art itself isn’t that outstanding. It’s certainly a good martial art, but compared to the secret martial arts of the Five Great Families or Nine Sects and One Gang, it’s true that it’s weak. However.

Modified

The Destroy Evil Radiant Sword that Myeolakdaeju unfolds is different.

Destroy Evil Mad Radiant Sword

Because that’s already something unique to Myeolakdaeju alone.

Slash!

The corner of the bamboo hat gets cut the moment I realize it.

Kaga-ga-ga-gang!

I stepped back from the approaching flames and unfolded a defensive technique. However, the flames of the sword strike rushed in regardless.

It’s not Blazing Yang Energy.

The flames of Myeolakdaeju giving his all are cold despite being flames. Since it’s flames achieved through the etherealness of sword energy, not Blazing Yang Arts, it’s natural.

Those who touch those flames don’t burn—they get cut away in the shape of the flames. Literally, iron flames kindled to destroy evil, you could say.

‘How should I respond?’

In the past.

To counter those flames, I prioritized setting up defenses tightly. If I went on the offensive and my body got pierced by flying sparks, nothing would be more fatal than that. I prioritized enduring first.

However.

‘Is there a need to respond that way?’

Now is different.

I feel like I can grasp it. The trajectory Myeolakdaeju’s sword traces, the path the energy draws. And its true meaning.

Over these past few days, I witnessed the Sword Saint’s martial arts, felt Taeak’s way of supremacy, guessed at Ilryun’s energy arts, and used the method of Nakcheon refined over thousands of years.

In all of the Central Plains’ history, there probably doesn’t exist a place overflowing with inspiration like this. All the martial families in the world, all the martial studies that have reached the end—they’re all here.

Then what I must do is one thing.

Heavenly Demon Divine Art

The sword downward, at an angle.

Modified

I open all blood pathways and change yokai power into internal energy. To tear down everything I’ve built up until now, and to build something on top of it.

“Come.”

The flames rush in. As if they’ll cut off my neck if I respond even slightly wrong, they carry fierce fighting spirit and killing intent.

However.

Heavenly Righteousness Divine Art First Form

It’s neither hot nor cold. In any case, no one fears flames that will go out if you take one step forward.

I drew my sword upward from below.

Definition

As if it had to be so, the flames split apart.